On March 25th, 2024 our team had the privilege of sitting down with Andrew and Stephanie Lamour, the Co-founders of the Umtshayelo Foundation (TUF). In our conversation, they uncovered their tumultuous journey surrounding their human rights work. Through a series of sub-projects, their foundation addresses issues such as childcare, elder care, hunger, and women's issues.
The Umtchayelo Foundation was born in 2013 when they began caring for and feeding a group of elders. Presently, alongside their work with elders, they encourage child development through an afterschool program, provide digital literacy courses increasing employment and education opportunities through skill development, and address food insecurity providing meals through an open kitchen. The foundations decision to focus on a wide range of issues is crystalized in their name: where Umtshayelo is the Xhosa word for Broom, they aim to sweep suffering away in the communities they serve.
Over the course of our conversation, we delved into the issue of period poverty, an under-addressed yet acutely relevant topic. Through their Kumani initiative, Umtshayelo addresses the issue by providing sustainable period products to women across South Africa. Where four of their reusable period products, replace over 400 disposable period products in a three-year period, their environmentally effective approach makes it clear that the Umtchayelo foundation is focused on the intersections of all aspects of human development.
If you are interested in supporting the Umtshayelo Foundation and otherwise learning more about their work, they are hosting a partnership gathering open to the public, on April 10th, 2024 at the Umtshayelo center in the Brackenfell Industrial Cape Town. Otherwise, you can contact their WhatsApp at 0736407268, and browse their website.
No comments:
Post a Comment